Days of Gratitude
by Trinity Everett
Summary: Just weeks before his wedding, Rick Castle has another important event to worry about. A 'Much to Be Thankful For' verse story. Caskett AU.


**Days of Gratitude**

 **A 'Much to Be Thankful For' verse story.**

 **Caskett AU**

* * *

"So, Mr. C, any big plans for the summer?"

Rick chuckled, looking up from the stack of projects he was desperately trying to grade before the end of the day. They had Monday off and his classes didn't take their finals until the end of next week, but he had plans for the weekend and wanted to get as much grading done as possible before he got too backed up. The usual foursome waited for him, sitting on top of their desks, their legs swinging in lazy arcs, expectant looks on their faces.

"Well there is a teacher's conference in July," he mused, watching them squirm. "I thought maybe I'd go to see the Biggest Ball of Twine at some point…"

The kids exchanged looks. "Any other big plans?" they asked together.

"This your way of hinting something to me, guys?" he asked, tilting his head to one side.

Bryn shrugged, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Just wondering if there's going to be a wedding anytime soon."

"And if we're invited," Miranda added with none of her friend's nonchalance.

"A wedding?" Rick teased, tapping his pen against the page. "Who's getting married?"

His students – well, former students, it had been a year since he'd taught any of them, but still they came to his classroom to hang out – groaned. "Come on, Mr. Castle," Lucy insisted. "We know you and Ms. Beckett haven't broken up or anything like that. We know you'll want to get married while we're out of school so you don't have to take time off work for your honeymoon. Summer's the perfect time. So…"

He grinned, giving them a small nod of approval for their deductive reasoning. "June 21st."

They gaped. "That's like three weeks from now!" Miranda breathed. "How are you not freaking out?"

"What's there to freak out about?" he asked, lifting a shoulder toward his ear.

The wedding planning had been a wonderful (at times stressful) blending of Kate's style and his, along with a healthy amount of doing what was necessary to stay within budget. Kate had found her dress months ago, and though he hadn't seen it, he knew two things: it had to be gorgeous – everything she wore was gorgeous – and she was happy with the way the alterations had turned out. His tux was going to be ready in the next week. His mother was handling the flowers, Kate's father hadn't blinked an eye about paying for the food and catering, and the venue had given them a discount to make the rooftop ceremony and reception possible.

Yes, the wedding was coming along nicely, which was lucky, he knew. And even if it wasn't, he would be marrying the love of his life in the end, so who cared? no, he wasn't worried about that.

The meeting they were going to have this weekend? That he was stressing about.

"That's so romantic," Miranda sighed, breaking into his musings. "You're not nervous because you're just ready to get married."

Rick smiled. He could appreciate the idealistic melody in her voice. All external stressors aside, it was true; he was ready to be married, and nerves got no say in the matter.

"Gotta admit, though, I'm a little hurt not to be invited, Mr. C. Since we were the ones who set you up and all," Ben said.

He laughed. "Funny, I seem to remember you _assuming_ I needed to be set up, even though Ms. Beckett and I were already together and had been for a while."

"Potato, potahto." The boy shrugged.

He grinned again, shaking his head. "Kate and I've decided to have a reception later in the summer that you will be invited to, since we're keeping the actual wedding small."

The group beamed. "See, that's all you needed to say. We're in," Ben answered on everyone's behalf.

"Somehow I knew that already," Rick said. "Okay, get outta here. Go home and study."

The four of them groaned, but jumped off the desks, but they didn't leave immediately.

"You're getting soft, Mr. C," Bryn teased. "Last year you would've told us to go do something that'll make a good story we can't tell our kids."

He grinned. "Do that, too. Just do it after you study and kill your finals."

They laughed, giving him a wave.

"Have a good weekend, Mr. Castle," Miranda said, smiling when he returned the sentiment.

He would have a good weekend, regardless of what happened come Saturday. He and Kate had some things to take care of after work, and once they completed those tasks, they planned to be lazy and relax the rest of the evening. And of course, he would undoubtedly have questions to answer from students throughout the night (if not the whole weekend), which would help keep his mind off–

"Are you reading the same paragraph over and over? That doesn't seem very productive."

Blinking, he looked up to find his fiancée leaning in the doorway, her smile soft with both affection and a touch of concern as she watched him.

"Everything okay?" she asked, stepping into his classroom. "You look pensive."

"Trying to get this grading done before we leave for the day. I'd prefer to not have to finish up on Monday night."

Kate smiled again, moving around his desk to press a kiss to his cheek before perching beside the pile of already graded papers.

"We will have time to do it, you know."

He shook his head. "Not if – I'd just rather not have to worry about this, too."

"Rick," Kate murmured, plucking his grading pen (the red pen of death, he'd dubbed it) from his fingers and cradling his hand between both of hers. "I don't want you to worry at all."

"How do I not?" He'd been on edge for the last two weeks, since they'd finalized their plans, growing more and more restless as the date approached. "Wouldn't you be anxious? If you were about to meet your–"

His fiancée squeezed his hand, pressing her fingers into a spot that managed to drain the tension from his limbs.

"I would be; I'd be a mess, in fact. You know I would. But I also know you, and I know how much you already love her, how badly you want it to go well. So I have faith that it'll work out."

His heart fluttered against his ribs; he loved this woman so much. She knew what he needed, when he needed it, and she had no qualms about telling him so.

"Pack up," she ordered softly, squeezing his hand again. "I'll help you knock these things out at home over a bottle of wine. Then we can make sure we've covered everything before tomorrow."

"You're beyond amazing, you know that?" he breathed, taking his hand back to follow her instructions. He watched the flush climb her neck, the way she dipped her chin at the praise.

"Thanks. Now come on, I also want to get dinner on the way home."

His stomach growled in agreement. Not that he blamed it; lunch had been too many hours ago for them both.

"Italian?" Rick asked, hopeful. "Since we're cooking at home all weekend."

Kate pretended to think about it, a smile flirting at her lips. "Deal."

She laughed at his newfound energy, wiggling her fingers in invitation to take her hand once he'd finished gathering his things and slung his bag onto his shoulder.

"Carry yours too?" he offered, noting her things resting by the door, but she just shook her head.

"I've got it, but thank you." She stepped closer, pressing a quick kiss to his mouth. "You're very sweet."

Rick smiled against her lips, gesturing for her to go ahead of him.

"By the way," he started once they were out of the school and walking toward the subway, "I kinda told the Matchmaker Club that they're invited to the reception. So we should probably get the invitations out for that."

Kate laughed, giving him a nod and a bump with her shoulder. "Next week, babe. That'll be next week's project. Let's focus on this weekend first."

The nervous flutter in his belly started up again, but it was quelled by another bump from his fiancée.

"It's going to be fine, Rick," she insisted. "You'll see."

* * *

Hours of Kate's assurances did nothing to stop him from fidgeting as they stood side by side in the baggage claim area of LaGuardia the next morning. He'd been up since six, unable to calm his racing mind, instead funneling the energy into one last check of the guest room and making a breakfast so massive Kate had joked about having multiple guests over to help them finish it. But still his fiancée took it all in stride, eating as much as she could before indulging his need to get to the airport far earlier than necessary.

He just wanted to make sure he was there – they were there – when the plane landed. He didn't want to be late, wouldn't miss a moment, not after missing so much already.

Maybe he was setting himself up for heartbreak, but he couldn't help it. It wasn't every day that one met their daughter for the first time after not realizing she was even his for so long.

Oh, he'd suspected, when Meredith had left him and started to show just a few months later, but his ex-wife had waved her hand and informed him that the affair he'd walked in on wasn't new, and he wasn't the father. Heartbroken, he'd taken her word for it.

How stupid he'd been. He should have questioned her harder, should have insisted on a test, should have fought for his kid.

Kate's nudge helped to ground him, pulling him out of another round of self-recrimination. Turning to her, Rick found her offering a sympathetic smile.

"Stop beating yourself up. You didn't know."

"I should've, though. I should've done more to make sure I knew for sure. It shouldn't have to have fallen on a teenager's shoulders like this."

Kate lifted onto her toes, cupping the back of his neck with a cool hand. "You were young – younger," she added at his indelicate huff. "You believed Meredith because you thought you could trust her about something this big. And from what Alexis said, she really did think–"

"No, I know. I know," he sighed, resting his forehead on hers. His daughter – whose name was Alexis, ironically enough – had said her mother had seemed genuinely surprised at the paternity test results, but Meredith was also an actress, able to feign shock and dismay. He wouldn't put it past her to pretend just to keep her daughter from being angry at her. "I've just missed so much, and I hate that. Her entire life, Kate."

Kate smudged her mouth over his. "I know. But you're not going to miss anything else. So stop beating yourself up for the past and look to the future."

It was easier said than done, and they both knew it (Kate more uniquely than most, having lost her mother at a young age), but he would try. Both for her and for the thirteen-year-old they were about to meet.

"Thank you," he murmured, wrapping his arms around her, keeping her close while they watched passengers emerge from the terminal.

Half an hour passed before his phone buzzed in his pocket. Fishing it out, he saw two texts, one from the airline telling him his daughter's plane had landed, and a second one from Alexis letting him know the same.

"She'll be here soon," he read aloud, sucking in a deep breath. Kate's hand slid along his spine, encouraging him to exhale.

His heart seized again a twenty minutes later when a redhead in a half-zipped hoodie and jeans with a designer backpack on her shoulders emerged from behind a pack of obvious tourists. Rick watched the girl look around, gaped a little as he recognized his mother's grace and some of his own features as well.

"There she is," Kate said, nudging him forward. "She's looking for you. Go, go."

He stumbled forward, glancing over his shoulder to see Kate smiling in encouragement. She gave him a nod, but hung back, giving him the time to do this on his own.

"Hi," a voice he only recognized from the phone greeted.

Twisting, he found himself face to face with the girl. She smiled, outwardly confident, but he'd been around teenagers long enough to recognize the uncertainty in her blue eyes.

And oh, that stopped him short; she had his eyes, too.

"Alexis, hi," he answered, searching for something more profound to say. "It's so good to meet you."

She nodded, shifting her weight. "You too."

"I," he started, only to cut himself off. "Can I give you a hug, or would that be wei–"

She threw her arms around his neck before he even managed to get the question out. Rick didn't hesitate to wrap her up, backpack and all, lifting her off her feet in the process.

"I'm so sorry," he found himself saying, bleeding his guilty conscience into her hair. He'd said it all before, in the many emails they'd exchanged since she first got in contact with him, the phone calls as they planned this meeting, but he needed to tell her again in person. She needed to know it wasn't just lip service. "I'm so sorry, Alexis. If I'd known, I would have–"

She nodded against his shoulder, tightening her grip on him. "I know. I know you would have."

He rocked with her, accepting her absolution even though he wasn't convinced he deserved it.

"I'm not mad at you," she continued. "I promise I'm not. I'm just–"

"Sad," he said with her.

Alexis nodded again, exhaling a shaky breath. "Yeah."

Settling her on her feet, he brushed a hand over her cheek, swiping at the moisture under her eye. She sniffed, leaning into his touch before tucking herself into his arms again for another death grip of a hug.

"Is that Kate?" she asked after a moment, lifting her head and looking around his shoulder, trying to catch a better look at their audience.

Rick twisted, following her gaze to meet his fiancée's eyes. Kate smiled, dragging her teeth over her lip as she took a step, then another one, closing the distance between them with steady strides.

"That's Kate," he confirmed, holding out a hand to his future wife, lacing their fingers together the moment she neared. "Kate, this is Alexis, my daughter," he said, growing confident in his introduction. Alexis straightened, looking both pleased and shy. "Alexis, this is Kate, my fiancée."

"It's so nice to meet you, Alexis," Kate greeted gently, holding out a hand that Alexis took without hesitating, connecting all three of them. "What do you guys say we grab your bag, get out of the airport, and head home?"

* * *

All in all, the weekend went well. The better part of Saturday and Sunday were spent bumming around the neighborhood and hanging out in the apartment, getting to know each other. To his delight, Kate and Alexis got along well, his mother fell in love with her granddaughter at first sight, and though it was awkward at times, he and Alexis seemed to be on their way to developing an easy camaraderie of their own, thanks to their shared, somewhat wacky, sense of humor.

He'd also learned when he emerged from his bedroom in the middle of the night on Sunday to find Alexis on the couch reading a novel his students wouldn't even touch that his daughter was also smart, incredibly smart. She'd just shrugged and said she liked the challenge. It really shouldn't have surprised him, though, given that she'd been working on a genealogy project for her home-school science class when she determined it was likely that he – and not the guy Meredith had left him for, only to dump a short time later – was her father.

By the time Tuesday arrived, he didn't want to leave her to go to work and it seemed like his daughter agreed. To his surprise, Alexis woke up with them on Tuesday morning, joining him and Kate at the table for breakfast.

"You didn't want to sleep in, Alexis?" he asked, spooning scrambled eggs onto her plate. "Not that I'm not happy to see you before we leave, but I didn't expect you to be up at this hour."

She shrugged, reaching for the fruit Kate had chopped the night before in preparation for their morning. "I usually get up early. Can I… maybe can I come to work with you?"

"You want to go to school on your vacation?" He touched her forehead with a hand. "I know we just met, so please be honest: is this normal for you?"

His daughter giggled, bumping her head against his palm. "Well, I thought about wandering around the city and getting into all kinds of trouble, but then I figured I might be better off staying in school, even if it's not my own."

Kate snorted into her coffee. "We just don't want you to be bored, honey. It's finals week, so not much is going on other than tests and review sessions."

"That's okay. I'm used to sitting around on movie sets. It's not nearly as awesome as you think it is. Better food than the cafeteria, but still pretty boring."

He remembered as much from his time behind the scenes of his mother's theater productions. There was an awful lot of sitting and waiting. Not that there wouldn't be just as much down time at the high school, but if Alexis wanted to come to work with them, with him, he wouldn't turn her down. It would mean answering questions from nosy high schoolers, but he would do it for her.

"If you're sure," he said, sipping his coffee, meeting Kate's eyes over the rim. She gave a short nod of approval. After all, it would be Alexis's school in the fall if she (and Meredith, he supposed) agreed to the offer he was planning to make and moved in with them over the summer; his daughter deserved a chance to see what the place was like first. "It's fine with me."

Alexis grinned, shoveling the last of her breakfast in her mouth and leaning over to kiss his cheek once she was done chewing. "I'll go get dressed. And I'll bring stuff to do, don't worry."

He watched her duck down the hall into her bedroom, chuckling at her last second skid on socked feet. Returning his attention to his food, he found Kate's eyes on him, an unreadable smile on her lips.

"What?" he asked, pausing mid-bite.

Her foot nudged his under the table. "You know, I see you with kids all the time, but it's different watching you with her."

He cocked his head, contemplating her words. "Good different?"

Her lips lifted again. "Mhmm. Very good. You're like a big kid with your students, but with Alexis, you're her dad. I'm glad you get to have that with her."

"Me too."

He watched her cheeks pinken, but she continued anyway, "It's also pretty sexy seeing you as a father. I could get used to it."

"Yeah?" he asked, pushing his chair back and sauntering around the table to comb his fingers through her hair and cup the back of her head. Kate grinned despite her blush, lifting her chin, her eyes expectant. They'd talked a few times before about having kids, but knowing her feelings hadn't changed with Alexis's arrival in their lives, that she was still just as invested in their future as a family as he was, lifted another weight off his shoulders.

"Yeah, Rick," she assured, reaching out to rub his hip. "Now kiss me, before she comes back and we completely gross her out."

"Mmm, I have a feeling we're going to do that more than a few times from now on," he said, knowing that they probably had a few more minutes to themselves. But he was all too happy to comply with Kate's order anyway.


End file.
